Anger And Forgivness :One Shot:
by BlackArmsGeneral
Summary: The file on the solider is in his hands, but what will Shadow the Hedgehog do?


A/N: I don't know if they ever explained this in game, but I always wondered what happened to the solider that shoot Maria Robotnik. This is my take on his story.

Sonic the Hedgehog and related characters © SEGA

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"This is it, I finally found it." Thought Shadow The Hedgehog. He was rummaging around in GUN's old files, searching for clues to the ARK incident 50 years ago. "The file on that solider!"

It had been a long time of planning and hard work, but GUN finally gave him access to the files archive fallowing the destruction of the Black Comet. He had spent weeks reading old files, most with blacked out sections, but this was the one he wanted, and now, he has finally found it. He throws the file on the desk and begins to read…

GUN Case file No. 42625346-A

Name: {Blanked}

Subject: Solider was confined to mental hospital after psychotic breakdown

Situation: Subject was found dead of a self inflected gunshot wound to the head/ Confirmed suicide.

Report: Subject has taken his own life. The only object of importance was a note found on his desk. A transcription has been included.

"It was just a job, right? We went in there to stop a mad scientist from creating a weapon that threatened the human race, right? I was fallowing orders, we all were. 'Capture all scientists aboard Space Colony ARK, and destroy all experiments conducted in the facility.' It's funny, none of us expected to receive any resistance, let alone orders to shoot, but we did… The call came in, 'Scientists armed! Shoot to kill!' it boomed in my helmet. Another order, I fallowed it without question. Then we found Prof. Gerald, out target, he was with his granddaughter and that "thing'. They all tried to run for it, Gerald was taken down and put in custody, but that thing took his granddaughter and ran. My partners loaded Gerald on to the ship, I was ordered to kill the creature and retrieve the girl. I never meant for it to happen, but things all went wrong. I gave chance, the creature was fast, too fast, I lost sight. When I finally caught up, they were at the escape pods. Oh god, what have I done… the memory is too horrible…

I took aim at the creature, I remember seeing it's red eyes glowing, like some demon, horns coming out of the back of it's head. It was not far from the demons you read about in a storybook. I went to end it's unnatural life, put an end to all of the "Mad Scientist's" work. But, she, Maria… She through herself in front to me… She saved that thing… Why? I can still remember the look on her face, what was that expression? Was it fear? Bravery? Love? I can still remember the creature calling out to her… Shadow, she called him. With her last breaths, she freed the creature, jettisoned the escape pod. I ran to her, I held her, but she was already gone…

My hands, I wash my hands every night, but the blood won't come off… I know what I did, I'll never forget. I've accepted that. And now I'll end my life knowing full well what to expect."

Shadow stares at the report. After all this time, he knew the man could be dead, but he had never expected this. He feels anger burning his insides; he slams his fist against the wall, hoping to see it crumble, but only feeling pain shoot down his arm. The man, who he remembers so vividly, the one who he saw as evil, was just a man, not only a man, but one who regretted what he had done. Shadow's anger ebbed away, and to his surprise, tears welled in his eyes. He was crying, not for Maria, not for himself, but for the man.

Shadow takes one last look through the report and the rest of the files, then, a lucky break, he finds an address! He packs up the papers and returns the box to its dusty shelf and runs out of the building and down the street as fast as his Hover Shoes would take him. "Maybe, just maybe his family is still there." He has no clue what he'll do, but he knows that he must meet these people. Maybe he wants to forgive them; they must have recognized him from the news and the soldier's description. They may be frightened of him… He can't allow these people to be afraid that he will seek vengeance,

He runs for a good hour and finds himself in front of the address,. To his surprise, the house is in good condition and a light is on in the window. Shadow swallows hard, he has no clue what to do… Then the door opens.

"Is someone there?" it is the voice of a small boy.

"Hello…" says Shadow nervously.

"Wow! It's Shadow! From the news! Mommy, mommy, come see!" The boy runs back inside. Shadow walks on to the porch and waits. Soon, a tall woman walks out of the house and looks at him.

"I figured you would be around sometime." She says.

Shadow is shocked, "What do you mean?"

"My father told me all of his stories from his days in GUN, yours was the last one."

"Your father… was he-"

"Yes, he was on ARK fifty years ago," She kneels down to get eye level with the black and red hedgehog, "Please, if you want revenge, don't hurt my son!"

Shadow takes a step back, "No, I just…" He feels the tears coming back.

The woman continues, she never heard Shadow, "Please, please, just do what you want, but leave my son alone!" She is sobbing.

Shadow feels hot tears run down his face, "I'M SORRY!" He falls down to his knees. The woman raises her head and looks at Shadow. "I'm so sorry, you must have been frightened for your life all this time…" His sobbing and the woman takes a deep breath.

"You mean…"

"I was so angry, I wanted to kill him for so long, but I never thought about what happened this way, I was consumed by revenge, I don't blame you for being scared, but please, forgive me." Shadow loses control and falls on his hands, tears hitting the ground and splashing on his gloves. Then, he feels warmth on his back. It was the woman, she is hugging him is this awkward position, doing her best to avoid his spines.

"Shadow, your nothing like father described… I was afraid, for many years. I never thought you would be the hero you are."

"I'm no hero; I've done too many things, terrible things…"

"Mommy, Shadow, what's wrong?" The young boy had come back on the porch.

The mother looks at her son and helps Shadow to his feet, "You are a hero, here's the proof." She points to her son. He's wearing a shirt with his picture, printed on computer paper, taped to it. "My son adores you, he thinks that your are the greatest hero this world has,"

Shadow looks at the boy; he seems worried, buy still happy, not the least bit frightened. He wipes his face, "Really?"

The boy nods his head and holds out his hand; in it is a small toy that looks just like Shadow. "You saved us Shadow, you saved the whole planet, how can you not be a hero?"

Shadow feels a smile come to his wet face. This boy was not much unlike Maria, he had the same eyes, eyes full of love and innocence, eyes he himself had lost long ago. "Thank you." He said, the boy beamed, a huge smile came across his face. Shadow turned to the mother, "Ma'am, thank you."

The mother smiled at Shadow, "Please, call me Maria."

Shadow's jaw dropped, "You're named…"

"After Maria Robotnik, yes, my father lived for many years after ARK, he died while I was in college, I assumed he named me out of regret, but maybe he knew you would come around some day, maybe he thought the name alone would protect me."

Shadow laughed in spite of himself.

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A/N: And that's that, I know there are a few grammar errors, but I think it's fine.

Please R+R, it's been a long time since I posted a story.

And to my fans, the next chapter of MGS is on its way, just be patient.


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